Connecticut 53, Butler 41: Pitted against a team lauded all tournament for its ability to grind out close contests with superior defense, game-planning and poise, the Huskies proved their interior size and perimeter skill could carry them through one of the lowest-scoring title games in recent history. After training 22-19 at the half, Connecticut asserted itself on both ends utilizing its substantial size advantage to dominate the paint and intimidate the Bulldogs into playing exclusively on the perimeter for long stretches. Butler shot just 18.8 percent from the field for the game (3 of 31 on two-pointers) - the worst performance in NCAA title game history - and opened the second half making just two of their first 24 shots. Star junior guard Kemba Walker led all scorer with 16 points and helped the Huskies push their lead to 11 on a layup with just over 10 minutes left that seemingly put the ragged, low-scoring contest out of reach. Alex Oriakhi added 11 points and 11 rebounds and was a menace to Butler's post players all night as he blocked four shots and discouraged countless more. Shelvin Mack had 13 points, including a three-pointer just before the first half buzzer, but the post duo of Matt Howard and Andrew Smith combined for only 12 points on 3 for 22 shooting as the Bulldogs were denied their first title for the second consecutive season. Connecticut's win capped an incredible postseason run that included five wins in five days to take the Big East tournament title and culminated with Coach Jim Calhoun's third national championship.

Ohio State 75, Texas-San Antonio 46: Freshman star Jared Sullinger had a relatively quiet game (11 points, 8 rebounds) but the Buckeyes didn't need much from him as they rolled to a first-round win. William Buford had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and Jon Diebler had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Ohio State. The Buckeyes held Texas-San Antonio sophomore Melvin Johnson III to five points after he went for a career-high 29 to lead his team to its first-ever tournament victory in a play-in game Wednesday.

UTSA: Texas-San Antonio’s roster features seven freshmen and just one senior, but the lone four-year player was crucial: Devin Gibson led the team in points, assists and steals, and was second in rebounding. He also was named MVP of the Southland tournament. Jeromie Hill was named Southland freshman of the year, the third Roadrunners player in the past four years to win the honor (Gibson and Melvin Johnson III were the others).

Alabama State: At the start of February, the Hornets were just 6-16, but they won 11 of their last 12 games to reach the NCAA tournament for the fourth time. Leading scorer and rebounder Tremayne Moorer played in only 15 games and started none because of the flu and a shoulder injury, but he led Alabama State with 14 points in the finale and was named MVP of the conference tournament. Strangely, only two players on the Hornets’ roster hail from Alabama.

Friday, March 18, 2:10 p.m.

Cleveland, OH

None

George Mason

27

7

colonial pct3 coach3 5

George Mason

228

george-mason

8

61

Villanova

21

12

big-east pct2 coach2 7

Villanova

617

villanova

9

57

George Mason 61, Villanova 57: The Patriots rallied from a six-point deficit in the final two minutes and took the lead for good on Luke Hancock's three-pointer with 19.8 seconds left, recapturing some of the magic of their 2006 Final Four run. After Mike Morrison's dunk gave George Mason its first lead since five minutes into the game, Villanova's Corey Fisher was fouled on a three-pointer. He made all three free throws to put the Wildcats back on top, 57-56, setting up Hancock's game-winner.

West Virginia 84, Clemson 76: The Mountaineers rallied from a 10-point deficit with 2 minutes 45 seconds remaining in the first half and capitalized on Clemson turnovers down the stretch to advance to the second round. Darryl Bryant scored 19 points to lead the way and Kevin Jones added 17 for West Virginia which will face the winner of Kentucky and Princeton Saturday.

Play-in game - Clemson 70, UAB 52: Led by a game-high 22 points from Jerai Grant, the Tigers shot 51 percent from the field and forced 19 Blazer turnovers to seal their first NCAA tournament victory since 1997. Clemson advances to take on West Virginia in a first-round matchup Thursday in Tampa.

UAB: The Blazers hadn’t won an outright regular season conference title in 21 years until this season. UAB’s coach has been to the national title game (Mike Davis, with Indiana in 2002), but the program has only one NCAA tournament win since making the Sweet 16 in 2004. Aaron Johnson leads the nation in assists per game. Another standout is Englishman Ovie Soko, who spent his senior year of high school at Bethel in Hampton.

Clemson: In Brad Brownell’s first season at the helm, the Tigers had the ACC’s stingiest defense (60.4 points allowed per game), statistically speaking. That would have been great had Clemson not also been one of the league’s lowest-scoring offenses. Jerai Grant (DeMatha) fortifies an athletic and deep post that could give tournament opponents matchup issues. Devin Booker and Milton Jennings have progressed nicely during their sophomore campaigns.

Thursday, March 17, 2:45 p.m.

Tampa, FL

None

Kentucky

29

9

southeastern pct1 coach1 7

Kentucky

292

kentucky

4

59

Princeton

25

7

ivy pct4 coach4 2

Princeton

471

princeton

13

57

Kentucky 59, Princeton 57: After failing to score for more than 39 minutes, freshman Brandon Knight made a driving layup with 2 seconds left to lift Kentucky to a narrow win over the upset-minded Tigers. Darius Miller (17 points) and Josh Harrellson (15) led the Wildcats who were held to a season-low in points.

Marquette 66, Xavier 55: The Golden Eagles won their first tournament game in two years and denied the Musketeers a fourth straight Sweet Sixteen bid behind Darius Johnson-Odom, who scored a game-high 19 points. Johnson-Odom hit four three-pointers, Jimmy Butler scored 15 points and Jae Crowder added 10 for Marquette, which shot 53.3 percent from the field. Andrew Taylor scored 16 points on 7 of 8 shooting to lead Xavier, but Marquette held Atlantic 10 player of the year Tu Holloway to five points -- 15 below his average.

Syracuse 77, Indiana State 60: Rick Jackson scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Orange to their first tournament victory since they were upset by Butler last year in the Sweet 16. Indiana State, which got into the tournament after squeaking out three Missouri Valley tournament wins, got within four in the second half but couldn't stop Jackson or C.J. Fair, who scored 14 points on 4 of 5 shooting.

Washington 68, Georgia 65: Isaiah Thomas finished with 19 points and 7 assists and the Huskies held off a late charge by Georgia that fell short when Travis Leslie's three-pointer missed with three seconds left. Washington led by 10 with just under two minutes to play but a clutch three-pointer by Trey Thompkins cut the deficit to 67-65 in the last 10 seconds. Thompkins finished with a game-high 26 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

North Carolina 102, Long Island 87: The Tar Heels stayed hot, jumping out to an early 10-point lead and then keeping Long Island at arms-length the rest of the way for their 10th win in their last 11 games. North Carolina's front line was overpowering, with Tyler Zeller (32 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks), John Henson (28 points, 11 rebounds) and Harrison Barnes (24 points, 16 rebounds) leading the way. Julian Boyd scored 18 points to lead the Blackbirds, who cut the lead to 10 in the final two minutes but couldn't get within striking distance.

Ohio State 98, George Mason 66: After a strong start from George Mason, the top-seeded Buckeyes had little trouble shrugging off the Patriots to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. David Lighty caught fire from beyond the arc, hitting all seven of his three-pointers to pile up 25 points and star freshman Jared Sullinger added 18 points as Ohio State proved to big, too deep and too talented for the darlings of the 2006 tournament. The 32-point victory was the largest in tournament history for the Buckeyes who moved one step closer to their first national title since 1960.

Kentucky 71, West Virginia 63: Two days after scoring hitting the game-winning layup against Princeton, freshman point guard Brandon Knight exploded for 30 points to help the Wildcats rally from an eight-point halftime deficit to knock off West Virginia. Fellow freshman Terrence Jones added 12 points and 10 rebounds, lone senior Josh Harrellson had another strong showing with 15 points and eight boards and Kentucky hit 11 of 13 free throws in the final three minutes. Joe Mazzulla had 20 points for the Mountaineers who beat Kentucky to reach the Final Four last season.

Marquette: The Golden Eagles outlasted Syracuse to became the second No. 11 seed to crash the Sweet 16 this year behind 17 points from Darius Johnson-Odom. They trailed by 10 early, but tied the game five minutes before halftime and it was back-and-forth from there. Johnson-Odom broke a 59-59 tie with a clutch 3-pointer with 30 seconds left and after Syracuse point guard Scoop Jardine missed a three-pointer to tie, Marquette made four free throws to seal it. Jae Crowder scored 16 points and Jimmy Butler added 10 for the Golden Eagles, while Dion Waiters had 18 and Kris Joseph had 12 for the third-seeded Orange.

North Carolina 86, Washington 83: Tyler Zeller scored 23 points, Harrison Barnes added 22 and the Tar Heels survived another frantic finish to fend off the Huskies and advance to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five seasons. North Carolina trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and five in the second half until a Barnes three-pointer gave them the lead with just over four minutes remaining. But after Kendall Marshall (13 points, 14 assists) missed the front end of a one-and-one in the final minute, John Henson deflected a Washington inbounds pass to prevent the Huskies from attempting a game-winner. Dexter Strickland knocked down two free throws for the final margin and Isaiah Thomas' failed to get his feet behind the line on his potential game-tying shot at the buzzer.

Kentucky 62, Ohio State 60: Freshman point guard Brandon Knight hit a guarded jump-shot with five seconds left, and Kentucky shocked the top-seeded Buckeyes. Knight had struggled most of the game (he finished with nine points on 3 of 10 shooting with zero assists and six turnovers), but he came up big after Jon Diebler's clutch three-pointer tied the score for Ohio State with 20 seconds on the clock. Diebler finished with four three-pointers and 16 points and freshman forward Jared Sullinger had 21 points and 16 rebounds. But less-heralded big man Josh Harrellson held his own against Sullinger, leading Kentucky with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Deandre Liggins added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Senior swingman David Lighty had 12 points and four assists in his final game as a Buckeye.

North Carolina 81, Marquette 63: The Tar Heels went up big early, thanks to a 19-0 run in the first half, and never looked back. Tyler Zeller led the way with 27 points and 15 rebounds, heralded freshman Harrison Barnes added 20 points and John Henson had his 10th straight double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Davante Gardner scored 16 points to lead four Marquette players in double figures, but it was too little, too late after North Carolina jumped out to a 40-15 halftime lead. The Golden Eagles clawed back to within 69-55 with four minutes left, but the Tar Heels buried them for good with a 12-2 run.

Kentucky 76, North Carolina 69: Standout freshman guard Brandon Knight scored 22 points on five three-pointers and the Wildcats limited North Carolina's transition offense to knock off the Tar Heels and advance to their first Final Four since 1998. Kentucky hit 12 threes in all as five players scored in double-figures. Tyler Zeller led the Tar Heels with 21 points and Harrison Barnes added 18, but North Carolina lost one half of its dominant one-two punch on the inside with John Henson saddled with foul trouble all night. The Wildcats led by seven at the half but had to fight off a late North Carolina rally that knotted the score at 67-all with just over three minutes remaining. With the win, Kentucky returns to the Final Four since 2008, when they won their seventh championship and second in three seasons.

Duke 87, Hampton 45: Kyrie Irving scored 14 points in his first game in three months and top-seeded Duke routed 16th-seeded Hampton 87-45 on Friday in the second round of the West regional for coach Mike Krzyzewski's 899th career victory. Duke dominated in all statistical categories, out-rebounding the Pirates 36-25, forcing 18 turnovers and shooting 53 percent from the field. The Blue Devils never trailed while dominating from the start, winning its fourth straight and advancing to a third-round matchup with No. 8 seed Michigan (21-13) on Sunday.

Michigan 75, Tennessee 45: Zack Novak scored 14 points, including two three-pointers in a decisive spurt to start the second half, and the Wolverines beat listless Tennessee 75-45 on Friday in the West region. In only their second NCAA tournament appearance since 1998, the eighth-seeded Wolverines (21-13) turned a four-point halftime lead into a rout when they got hot from the outside and found a way to stop Tennessee freshman Tobias Harris. Despite Michigan becoming the first team ever to win a tournament game without making a free throw, it was the most lopsided game between teams seeded No. 8 and No. 9 since the NCAA began seeding teams in 1979.

Arizona 77, Memphis 75: Derrick Williams had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and blocked a potential tying shot in the final seconds to seal the win for the Wildcats. Joe Jackson hit the first of two free throws with 5 seconds left, then missed the second to give the 12th-seeded Tigers a shot at the tie. Wesley Witherspoon grabbed the offensive rebound at the right block, but Williams came over to swat it away and send Arizona into a Sunday game against fourth-seeded Texas.

Texas 85, Oakland 81: J'Covan Brown scored 21 points - including 12 of 12 shooting from the free throw line - to lead four players in double-figures as Texas held off Oakland. The Longhorns made 21 of 26 free throws to survive a late push from the upset-minded Golden Grizzlies.

Cincinnati 78, Missouri 63: Missouri's pressure defense posed few problems for Cincinnati. In fact, it was the Bearcats that put the clamps down. Cincinnati shot 53.7 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures, led by Yancy Gates' 18 points and 11 rebounds. Four Missouri players scored in double figures, but the leader was junior forward Ricardo Ratliffe with 13 and the Tigers shot 37.5 percent from the field.

Connecticut 81, Bucknell 52: Kemba Walker burnished his National Player of the Year credentials, notching 18 points, 8 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists as the Huskies rolled. Bucknell came in with a 10-game winning streak and a history of pulling off NCAA tournament upsets, but the Bison couldn't stop Walker or Roscoe Smith, who scored 17 points. Patriot League Player of the Year Mike Muscala led Bucknell with 14 points, but his team fell behind by 32 early in the second half and never really threatened.

Temple 66, Penn State 64: Juan Fernandez connected on an off-balance 18-footer with less than one second left to win a back-and-forth game for the Owls. Fernandez and Ramone Moore each scored 23 points to help coach Fran Dunphy snap his NCAA tournament record 11-game losing streak.

San Diego State 68, Northern Colorado 50: The Aztecs shrugged off an early challenge from Northern Colorado and won their first tournament game ever behind 21 points and 10 rebounds by Kawhi Leonard. Billy White added 12 points and 13 rebounds and Chase Tapley slowed Northern Colorado's Devon Beitzel after his eight-point spurt brought the Bears within three early in the second half.

Duke 73, Michigan 71: Darius Morris missed a potential game-tying runner off the back rim in the final seconds and the defending champion Blue Devils escaped Michigan's upset bid. ACC player of the year Nolan Smith led all scorers with 24 points and freshman Kyrie Irving added 11 (nine coming on free throws), but the Wolverines hung tough with outside shooting from Zack Novak (4 of 9 three-pointers) despite getting out-rebounded 31-18. Duke advances to its fifth Sweet 16 in seven seasons where it awaits the winner of Arizona and Texas.

Arizona 70, Texas 69: Derrick Williams' three-point play put Arizona ahead and three Wildcats converged on Texas guard J'Covan Brown to send his off-balanced runner off target in the closing seconds and preserve the win. Williams, a sophomore forward, scored 17 points to lead Arizona and Solomon Hill and Jordin Mayes added 16 apiece. Brown was 13 of 13 from the line and finished with a game-high 23 points, leading the Longhorns back from an 11-point halftime deficit, but coming up just short at the end.

San Diego State 71, Temple 64, 2 OT: The Aztecs couldn't convert on last-second chances with the game tied at the end of regulation and first overtime but outscored the Owls 10-3 in the second overtime to advance to their first Sweet 16 in program history. Billy White and Kawhi Leonard both scored 16 points to pace four San Diego State players in double figures.

Arizona 93, Duke 77: Derrick Williams scored a career-high 32 points - highlighted by several thunderous dunks - as the Wildcats exploded for 55 second-half points to bounce the defending champions in Anaheim. Arizona trailed by six entering halftime but carried the momentum of a Williams buzzer-beating three-pointer into the second half where they thoroughly dominated the Blue Devils on both ends of the court. Point guard Lamont "MoMo" Jones (16 points) gashed the Duke defense, freeing his teammates for easy baskets and the Wildcats won the rebounding battle 35-26. Kyrie Irving led the Blue Devils with 28 points and Kyle Singler scored 18 points despite serious second-half foul trouble, but ACC player of the year went 3 of 14 from the field for just eight points in his final collegiate game. The Wildcats advanced to their first region final since 2005.

Connecticut 74, San Diego State 67: Kemba Walker continued his national player of the year campaign with 36 points and Jeremy Lamb added 24 and a critical steal in the final minute as the Huskies won for the eighth time in 16 days. D.J. Gay (16), Billy White (14), Malcolm Thomas (13) and Kawhi Leonard (12) each scored in double-figures for the Aztecs who rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit and trailed by one point with less than 90 seconds remaining. With the win, the Huskies advanced to their fifth Elite Eight in 10 years and a matchup with the winner of Duke and Arizona.

Connecticut 65, Arizona 63: Arizona had a shot to win on its last possession, and then a shot to tie after getting an offensive rebound. But both missed and when the horn sounded Connecticut had taken the Wildcats' best shot and held on for a win and a Final Four berth. The great individual battle between Connecticut guard Kemba Walker and Arizona forward Derrick Williams was a wash, as both went for 20 points and neither shot the ball as well as they had earlier in the tournament. But freshman Jeremy Lamb continued his ascent to stardom with 19 points for the Huskies -- his ninth straight game in double figures and his third straight with at least 19. Jesse Perry had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats, who trailed most of the second half but managed to stay within striking distance.

Connecticut 56, Kentucky 55: In a battle of perennial postseason contenders led by flashy guards, Saturday's second semifinal was decided on the defensive end. With a gameplan focused on crowding Kentucky freshman Brandon Knight, the Huskies limited the Wildcats to 34 percent shooting and got critical defensive stops in the final minute of a sometimes sloppy contest to advance to their first championship game since 2004. National Player of the Year candidate Kemba Walker scored 18 points and added seven assists and six rebounds to outshine Knight, who led the Wildcats with 17 but was just 6 of 23 from the floor, including 3 of 11 from three-point range. Freshman Jeremy Lamb added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Huskies who took advantage on the interior with Kentucky senior forward Josh Harrellson limited due to foul trouble. Dating back to the first round of the Big East tournament on March 8, Connecticut has now won 10 consecutive games in 26 days.

Kansas 72, Boston University 53: Leading by just four at halftime, the top-seeded Jayhawks pulled away down the stretch behind twin forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris, who combined for 31 points and 17 rebounds. Starting guard Tyshawn Taylor, suspended for two games last month, came through with 10 points and 7 assists for Kansas. Boston University's John Holland, the America East player of the year, led all scorers with 19 points and D.J. Irving added 11 for the Terriers.

Illinois 73, UNLV 62: Senior guard Demetri McCamey led from the perimeter, senior forward Mike Davis led in the paint and Illinois led from beginning to end against UNLV. Davis finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and McCamey finished with 17 points and 7 assists as the Illini shot a sizzling 59.6 percent from the field. Sophomore guard D.J. Richardson made all four of his shots. Oscar Bellfield led three UNLV players in double figures with 14 points, but his team shot just 38.9 percent.

Richmond 69, Vanderbilt 66: Kevin Anderson scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half, including a floater with 18.7 seconds remaining that helped seal 12th-seeded Richmond's 69-66 win over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt. The Spiders (28-7) sprang the second upset of the day at Pepsi Center after Morehead State knocked off Louisville, setting up a 12-13 matchup in the second round.

Morehead State 62, Louisville 61: Demonte Harper hit a three-pointer from the top of the key with seven seconds left and the Eagles stunned Louisville in Denver. Terrance Hill scored 23 points to lead all scorers and Kenneth Faried finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds as Morehead State won its second NCAA tournament game ever. In 2009 they beat Alabama State in a play-in game before losing to top-seeded Louisville in the first round.

VCU 74, Georgetown 56: Playing on short rest, the Rams nonetheless made short work of sixth-seeded Georgetown. They led by 11 at halftime and kept pulling away behind Brandon Rozzell, who hit six three-pointers and finished with 26 points. Hollis Thompson was 7 of 8 from the field, including 4 of 5 from three-point range, and led the Hoyas with 24 points. But Chris Wright struggled in his return from a hand injury, scoring six points on 3 of 13 shooting and Georgetown ended the season on a five-game losing streak.

VCU 59, Southern Cal 46: Jamie Skeen scored a game-high 16 points and the Rams hit nine three-pointers to pull away from Southern Cal in the second half of their play-in game and advanced.

Southern Cal: The Trojans are trending up after turning around their season and becoming one of the last at-large team to make the tournament. They suffered three horrible losses -- Texas Christian, Oregon State and Bradley -- early in the season. But they also have five RPI top 50 wins. They rely on their starters heavily, ranking 321st in bench minutes. They also rank 276th in free throw percentage. USC turns over the ball just 11.4 times per game.

VCU: After losing four of their final five regular season games, including three straight at home, the Rams resurrected their NCAA hopes at the CAA tournament by beating Drexel at the buzzer and upsetting George Mason before falling to Old Dominion. Jamie Skeen is a powerful inside player who has added a three-point shot to his portfolio. The Rams don’t shoot well (they ranked eighth in the CAA in field goal percentage) but have several perimeter options.

Friday, March 18, 7:20 p.m.

Chicago, IL

None

Purdue

26

8

big-ten pct2 coach3 4

Purdue

474

purdue

3

65

St. Peter's

20

14

metro-atlantic pct4 coach4 1

St. Peter's

543

st-peters

14

43

Purdue 65, St. Peter's 43: Coming off two straight losses, the Boilermakers got back on track behind senior leaders JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. Johnson, a 6-foot-9 forward, had 16 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks. Moore, a 6-foot-4 guard, had 19 points and 4 rebounds. Junior guard Lewis Jackson added 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting. MAAC tournament MVP Jeron Belin (12 points) was the only St. Peter's player in double figures, as Purdue held the Peacocks to 17 first-half points and 29.8 percent shooting for the game.

Florida State 57, Texas A&M 50: Derwin Kitchen scored 15 points and added seven rebounds to lead the Seminoles to their first tournament victory since 1998. Junior Chris Singleton had five points in his first game since fracturing his foot on Feb. 12 and Florida State blocked 10 shots to surge ahead in the second half. Khris Middleton had 16 points for the Aggies who shot just 31 percent from the field and 47 percent (9-19) from the free throw line.

Notre Dame: Ben Hansbrough scored 15 points and the Fighting Irish out-shot Akron 26-6 from the free throw line to advance to the second round. The Zips shot just 36 percent from the floor and could not keep close in the second half after going into the break trailing 34-30.

Kansas 73, Illinois 59: The Illini hung tough for much of the game, but their senior post duo ultimately couldn’t keep up with the Jayhawks’ junior post duo. Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale combined for 30 points and 19 rebounds to lead Illinois, but twin brothers Markieff and Marcus Morris combined for 41 points and 24 rebounds to lead Kansas. D.J. Richardson added 13 points for the Illini but Kansas held Illinois' leading scorer, senior point guard Demetri McCamey, to just six. Leading by four at halftime, the Jayhawks pulled away down the stretch with a series of thunderous alley-oop dunks by the Morris brothers. Junior guard Tyshawn Taylor added 12 points for Kansas to help coach Bill Self top his former team (Illinois) in the city where he used to coach two other teams (Oral Roberts and Tulsa University).

Richmond 65, Morehead St. 48: Justin Harper had 19 points and six rebounds to lead the Spiders into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1988. Richmond largely contained Morehead State star Kenneth Faried and forced the Eagles into 36 percent shooting. The Spiders will play the winner of Kansas-Illinois in the Southwest regional semifinals next Friday in San Antonio.

VCU 94, Purdue 76: VCU looked more like a No. 1 seed than a No. 11 in dismantling Purdue and reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Playing for the third time in five days, the Rams shot 57.8 percent and only turned the ball over five times. Bradford Burgess led the team with 23 points, but the conductor of this operatic offensive performance was 5-foot-10 senior point guard Joey Rodriguez, who finished with 12 points, 11 assists and not a single turnover. JaJuan Johnson had 25 points and 14 rebounds in the finale of his decorated career at Purdue and Ryne Smith hit six three-pointer for the Boilermakers, but it wasn't nearly enough. VCU took a 25-24 lead five minutes before halftime and just kept pulling away.

Florida State: Notre Dame became the first No. 2 seed to fall this year and the Irish went relatively quietly against a balanced Florida State squad. Seminoles leading scorer Chris Singleton was shut out in his second game back from a fractured foot, but Bernard James (14 points), Michael Snaer (13), Derwin Kitchen (10) and Okaro White (10) all scored in double figures. More importantly, Florida State lived up to its ranking as the team with the top defense in the nation by field goal percentage, holding the Irish to 31.7 percent shooting, including 7 of 30 (23.3 percent) from three-point range. Tim Abromaitis (21 points) and Ben Hansbrough (18) led Notre Dame in their final college game.

Kansas 77, Richmond 57: Kansas crunched the Cinderella Spiders' glass slippers in a hail of fast breaks and swished three-pointers. Senior guard Brady Morningstar hit four threes and freshman Josh Selby came off the bench to make three more, as Kansas shot 9 of 19 (47.4 percent) overall from long range. Sophomore forward Thomas Robinson, a Washington, D.C., native who went to Riverdale Baptist, came off the bench for 12 points and 14 rebounds in just 16 minutes. Tyshawn Taylor had 10 assists for the Jayhawks, who jumped out to a 41-22 halftime lead. Richmond got no closer than 15 in the second half, despite a game-high 22 points from forward Justin Harper.

Virginia Commonwealth 72, Florida State 71, OT: Senior point guard Joey Rodriguez fed Bradford Burgess with a crafty in-bounds pass for a layup with six seconds to play and Virginia Commonwealth extended its unlikely and unprecedented tournament run. The Rams had never been to the Sweet 16 before and Florida State matched them blow for blow after they had run by their first three tournament opponents for double-digit victories. Derwin Kitchen scored 23 for the Seminoles and Chris Singleton added 16, including a deep three-pointer that sent the game to overtime. But behind Burgess and Rodriguez, the Rams became the first team not named North Carolina to score 70 points on the defensively-stout Seminoles in more than two months. Burgess hit six three-pointers and scored a game-high 26 points on 9 of 15 shooting and Rodriguez had a game-high 10 assists. Brandon Rozzell added 16 points (including three three-pointers) and Jamie Skeen had 11 for the Rams.

Virginia Commonwealth 71, Kansas 61: In a tournament full of improbable upsets, the Rams continued their stunning run, dominating the top-seeded Jayhawks for 40 minutes to capture an emphatic victory and their first Final Foul berth in program history. Jamie Skeen scored 26 points and hit four of VCU's 12 three-pointers and the Rams held Kansas to 35.5 percent shooting -- and 21 points below their season average. Marcus Morris had 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Jayhawks but master motivator Shaka Smart continues to get the most out of an over-looked, under appreciate squad that knocked off its third top-six team of the tournament.

Pittsburgh 74, UNC Asheville 51: Ashton Gibbs scored 26 points - including six three-pointers - to outshine Asheville's play-in hero Matt Dickey (21) and Pittsburgh pulled away from the upset-minded Bulldogs in the second half. The Panthers hit 8 of 19 three-pointers while Asheville connected on just 3 of 19 from beyond the arc.

Play-in - UNC Asheville 81, Arkansas-Little Rock 77: Matt Dickey scored 22 points and led a late rally to force overtime, and teammate J.P. Primm (22 points) made a critical steal in the final seconds to propel UNC Asheville to an 81-77 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock in Tuesday's tournament opener. The Bulldogs advance to play Pittsburgh in a first-round matchup Thursday.

UNC Asheville: The Bulldogs are in the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history after knocking off Coastal Carolina in the conference title game. UNC Asheville finished the regular season as the Big South’s leader in steals with 9.34 per game and forced 21 turnovers in the Big South final. Matt Dickey was the Big South’s sixth-leading scorer and was named MVP of the conference tournament. Asheville’s only other NCAA appearance came in 2003.

Arkansas-Little Rock: The Trojans entered the conference tournament below .500 (and riding a three-game losing streak), but won four games in four days to advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1990. Sun Belt player of the year Solomon Bozeman averaged 22 points in the Trojans’ last four games. He also hit the game-winning three-pointer to beat North Texas in the conference final. UALR shot 40 percent from three-point range this season.

Thursday, March 17, 12:40 p.m.

Washington, DC

None

Butler

28

10

horizon pct2 coach3 6

Butler

67

butler

8

60

Old Dominion

27

7

colonial pct3 coach3 2

Old Dominion

447

old-dominion

9

58

Butler 60, Old Dominion 58: Matt Howard flipped in a shot on an offensive rebound just before the final horn to give the Bulldogs a thrilling victory and keep the 2010 finalists alive. Shelvin Mack and Howard each had 15 points for Butler which shot just 39 percent. The Bulldogs will face top-seeded Pittsburgh or UNC-Asheville Saturday at Verizon Center.

Kansas State 73, Utah State 68: Senior guard Jacob Pullen led four Wildcats in double figures with 22 points and also had five assists, as Kansas State's late-season success continued. Tai Wesley had 18 points to lead Utah State, but it wasn't enough to upset a Kansas State team that has now won eight of its last nine games.

Wisconsin 72, Belmont 58: Bo Ryan's vaunted defense was in full force as his Badgers held Belmont to 36.7 percent from the field, including 6 of 22 from three-point range. Senior forward Jon Leuer led Wisconsin with 22 points and junior guard Jordan Taylor finished with 21. Mick Hedgepeth and Kerron Johnson combined for 30 points for Belmont, but Wisconsin limited the rest of the Bruins to a total of 28.

Gonzaga 86, St. John's 71: No stranger to NCAA Tournament upsets, Gonzaga struck yet another blow for the mid-majors by downing No. 6-seed St. John's out of the Big East. The Bulldogs sizzled from the perimeter, with Marquise Carter, Elias Harris and Steven Gray combining to hit 9 of 14 three-pointers. Dwight Hardy scored a game-high 26 points for St. John's, but it wasn't enough to lead the Red Storm to victory in its first tournament appearance since 2002.

Brigham Young 74, Wofford 66: The Cougars didn't look dominant for a three-seed, playing without leading rebounder Brandon Davies, who was suspended for an honor code violation two games before the Mountain West tournament. But they got enough from Jimmer Fredette, who played all 40 minutes along with his backcourt mate Jackson Emery. Fredette, the nation’s leading scorer, finished with 32 points. Kyle Collinsworth scored just two, but filled Davies' role with 11 rebounds. Senior forward Noah Dahlman led Wofford with 22 points.

UCLA 78, Michigan State 76: Michigan State’s frantic comeback came up just short, as Kalin Lucas traveled trying to get off a desperation half-court heave at the buzzer. Malcolm Lee and Tyler Honeycutt each had 16 points to lead four UCLA players in double figures and the Bruins led by 18 at half but kept missing free throws down the stretch and Michigan State kept chipping away at the lead with clutch three-pointers. But when they inbounded to Lucas with four seconds left two Bruin defenders converged on him and he shuffled his feet trying to get around them. Draymond Green had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists but couldn't keep the Spartans from bowing out in the first round for the first time since George Mason upset them in 2006.

Florida 79, UC Santa Barbara 51: With four players scoring in double figures, the Gators rolled to their first NCAA tournament victory since they beat Ohio State in the 2007 National Championship. UC Santa Barbara's only tournament win came against Houston in 1990 and Florida made it clear early on it wouldn't be the Gauchos' second victim, jumping out to a 43-19 halftime lead. Chandler Parsons led the Gators with 10 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Erving Walker added 18 points and 6 assists.

Butler 71, Pittsburgh 70: Matt Howard was fouled rebounding a missed free throw in the final second of a tie game and hit one of two free throws to send Butler into the Sweet 16. The free throws capped a thrilling final few seconds that included Butler's Andrew Smith hitting a go-ahead layup and Pittsburgh's Gilbert Brown drawing a foul and sinking his first free throw to tie the score.

Wisconsin 70, Kansas State 65: Kansas State's Jacob Pullen had his game-tying three-point attempt blocked by Jordan Taylor in the final seconds and the Badgers moved on to the Sweet 16. Jon Leuer led Wisconsin with 19 points and seven rebounds. Taylor shot just 2 of 16 but hit a pair of late free throws and came up with the defensive play of the game. Pullen led all scorers with 38 points, highlighted by a 6-of-8 performance from three-point range.

Brigham Young 89, Gonzaga 67: Jimmer Fredette finished with 34 points and seven assists as the Cougars rolled into the Sweet 16. Fredette hit seven three-pointers to lead four Brigham Young players in double figures. The Cougars shot better than 52 percent as a team to earn their first trip to the Sweet 16 in 30 years.

Florida 73, UCLA 65: Florida’s little man Erving Walker came up big again, scoring 21 points and hitting several clutch shots down the stretch as the Gators beat the Bruins in the tournament for the fourth time in six seasons. Walker scored 10 of his team’s final 12 points, including four free throws in the final 33 seconds and UCLA wasted its opportunities at the free throw line for the second straight game, going just 16 for 25

Butler 61, Wisconsin 54: Keyed by a tremendous defensive effort, the Bulldogs continued their march back toward a second consecutive Final Four. Matt Howard scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Butler withstood a leg injury to center Andrew Smith and held the Badgers to 30 percent shooting. Jordan Taylor scored 22 points as Wisconsin made things interesting late with several steals and easy baskets, but the experience Bulldogs held on to notch their fourth victory over a higher-seeded team during their two-year tournament run. Butler advanced to take on Florida in the Southeast region final Saturday.

Florida 83, BYU 74: The Gators out-scored BYU 15-6 in overtime to end the captivating collegiate career of Jimmer Fredette (32 points) and send Florida back to the Elite Eight for the first time since they won back to back titles in 2006 and 2007. Alex Tyus scored 19 points, Kenny Boynton added 17 and Chandler Parsons and Erving Walker each scored 16 as the Gators shot nearly 48 percent from the field and hit 11 three-pointers. After the Cougars fell behind to start the extra frame, Fredette, who ended his season with five consecutive 30-point games, started forcing shots - he was 0 for 2 in overtime with two turnovers and two fouls. Florida awaits the winner of Butler and Wisconsin.

Butler 74, Florida 71, OT: Undersized and undermanned, the Bulldogs nonetheless found a way to get back to the Final Four, riding junior guard Shelvin Mack to a comeback victory. The Bulldogs trailed by 11 midway through the second half, but Mack led them all the way back. He scored a game-high 27 points on an assortment of three-pointers, free throws and aggressive drives to the basket. Matt Howard, who finished with 14 points for Butler, made one of two free throws to send the game to overtime and Mack made a three-pointer to put the Bulldogs ahead with 1:20 left in the extra period and then nailed two clutch free throws to extend the margin to three with 11 seconds left. Florida guard Erving Walker had a look at a game-tying three-pointer, but missed. Senior center Vernon Macklin, a Georgetown transfer, finished with 25 points to lead the Gators.

Butler 70, VCU 62: A year after their stunning run to the national championship game, the Bulldogs have made it all the way back - this time as No. 8 seed relying on defense, grit and execution over star-power. Led by junior guard Shelvin Mack (24 points) and do-it-all senior big man Matt Howard (17 points, 11-12 free throws), Butler absorbed several VCU runs in a back and forth second half and pulled away in the final minutes when the Rams went cold from the field. The Bulldogs led by six at the half but trailed with 12 minutes 30 seconds remaining in the game but Mack and Howard combined for 14 of Butler's final 23 points over the last 10 minutes to seal the win. Jamie Skeen scored 27 and Brad Burgess added 15 for the Rams who made just 8 of 22 three-pointers and could not extend their improbable run to Monday's final. Now the Bulldogs get a second shot at their first championship against the winner of Kentucky and UConn.